A snyder/jane co-write.

The BAND:
RealTracks in style: ~520:Bass, Electric, Pop HalfNotes Ev 165
RealTracks in song: ~407:Guitar, Acoustic, Fingerpicking Ev 165
RealTracks in song: ~524:Guitar, Acoustic, Strumming Ev 165
RealTracks in style: 410:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm Country Cowboy Ev 165
RealTracks in song: 1035:Banjo, Rhythm NorthernRockBallad Ev 065
RealTracks in song: 2172:Mandolin, Soloist CountryAndy Ev 165
RealDrums in style: NashvilleSkip^01-a:SideStick, HiHat , b:Snare, Ride
Percussion Loops\Loop120bpm Claps Calypso - 16beat.wav


KING OF THE COUNTRY

boss is on my [*****]
you're fifteen minutes late
happens one more time, boy
we'll be partin' ways
i remind him, we pulled double shifts
working until dawn
pulling trees off power lines
to turn the lights back on
hundred degrees in baton rouge
another storm is on the way
i don't mind, i'll make it through
it's just another day

   then i head home
   to a cabin in the woods i built by hand
   a beautiful woman
   twenty acres of land
   a three year old in a cowboy hat
   who grins from ear to ear
   when she says "daddy, pick me up"
   i know why i'm here
   i may be just a number to the rest to the world
   but i'm the world's greatest husband
   father of the year
   everybody's hero
   and king of the country
   'round here

keepin' power in these 'lectric lines
know 'em all for 50 miles
thunderstorm or hurricane
test me by any trial
there's power on the radio
when they're singing about love
or songs about family
i can't get enough
i'm shocked from time to time
by things folks say and do
i climb these poles every day
you do what you gotta to do

   repeat chorus

i'm driving down 61
said all i need to say
sweat 'n' sore, dirt 'n' hurt
at the end of a working day

   repeat chorus

©2016 david snyder and floyd jane


Comments encouraged.
Have at it.

floyd

floyd and David,

This is great! I love the upbeat music and the upbeat lyrics that ring with honesty. A top notch write by anyone's standards. On top that, floyd's performance is as radio ready as everything he does.

In summary... a great mix, a great write, a terrific arrangement and a first class presentation.

More please

Regards,
Noel

Floyd & David,
Yes, definitely radio-ready as Noel says... I hope the stations out there playing Merle Haggard are listening cos this should be on the playlist.
Nice link to the power lines theme throughout the lyrics and that clap loop picks things up at just the right time.
Very good!

Robert

Floyd & David
Great catchy chorus - excellent story line - lovely mix - great harmony - beautifully sung.
What's not to like?

Peter

Floyd / David,

This is a great song. I love the story backdrop... As always, a great vocal by Floyd. Excellent job guys!

Bob

My favorite of you two collaborations so far. Struck a chord with me from all the years as an insurance adjuster working catastrophe claims. Long hours, lot's of roofs, workin' hard and waitin' to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Cuss it every day but share stories about it for years.

Great song, excellent write, arrangement, production and performance.

Looking to hear more from you guys.

Charlie

Sensational Floyd and David

What an absolutely fantastic vibe you've provided.

Great feel-good lyrics,

Perfect choice of instruments,

Master vocal delivery, harmonies and everything.

Classic for sure (except that boss of yours needs to learn a thing or two )

Thanks again for 'nother great one.

Fantastic! first thing that hit me was how good all the balance and the instrumentation was. Everything fits so smoothly right up to the very last note, really good production, that's just on one listen, maybe I missed something, but I was impressed. The country singer as hero or in a good positive light. I wonder if discussions on the last song inspired anything here? As a writer I have my mental notebook, I think we all have one. I have favorite song ideas that
I've tucked away, especially favorite songs that had occupations mentioned and Jimmy Webb's Lineman For The County came to mind. I always wanted to use that occupation in a song and may still write that some day, not implying anything taken from Webb here at all,
it's just that I couldn't help but think of that song too, which is
probably another good thing about this great collaboration!

Kenny

Another stellar song and recording. I want to say something about comments that follow Floyd's posts that say "radio ready." If we dialed back 25-30 years I would agree. The swill that passes for country music these days is a travesty. There are SO many great country songs on this board but they don't fit the adolescent pickup truck, get drunk, and chase women genre that sells today. Floyd probably knows better than most of us about Nashville songwriting and the club that it is.

Over and out.

Hi Floyd, (and David, the co-writer)

The recording is very successful, I think that you've got a good recording studio at your place. The voice, in particular, is very good. The lyrics are elaborate (for an non-english speaker), I translated them to understand them in full.

Have a nice day

Noel - we appreciate you stopping by...




Thanks, Robert... LOL... a bit hard finding "stations out there" playing any Haggard theses days...

Hey Y'all it's about time for church, but I have to brag on Floyd here a little bit before I head out.

Folks have talked about "song form" and such in various forum posts and brought up the question from time to time about "what makes a hit." We have even heard discussion about Ralph Murphy and his "rules."

Well, I am going to ask my songwriting group to meticulously study this song that Floyd put together musically. It made my jaw drop open the first time I heard it. Here is what he did:

1.) He used what is known as the "most popular" form in country hits today which is Verse, PreChorus, Chorus (repeat) Bridge, Chorus. (More than 80 percent of hits have this form.)

("Hundred degrees in Baton Rouge" starts the prechorus.)

2.) Then, and this spun my head around, he pulls out a TRIPLE hook in the chorus.

Hook 1 is "Then I head home..."

Hook 2 is "I may be just a number to the rest of the world.."

Hook 3 is "But I'm...the World's Greatest Husband.." and so forth

At this point, the bases are loaded folks, and the first time I heard him do that brief pause before..

"Round here.." [smack!!!]....

I just grinned from ear to ear. That's what you call the grand slam. He just smacked it into the bleachers. Complete mastery of the song form. All I could say was "D..."

Or as Jerry Reed used to say, God rest his soul, "Son!"

Gotta go to church and get my mouth washed out now. Happy Sunday everybody. Great job Floyd. It's a pleasure working with ya!!

Hi Floyd and David.

A real "feel-good" song and another classic piece of country.

Everything works SO well.

Great writing, great backing, great performance, great mix.

That says it all.

ROG.

What he said. Excellent stuff guys!


Regards,

Bob

David, thanks for your insightful post. I love reading about the working of the minds of such good writers. I love the inspirational part of writing and then struggle with then organizational part, the structure. I love reading the Pat Pattisons, Robin Fredricks, etc. but only take away so much. I think Floyd loves the mathmatics of writing more than me for sure, setting up these catchy hooks.
Anyway, enjoyable read and fine job on this song.

Kenny

Take two ‘Very clever songwriters put them in a pot and bring to the boil, and you end up with a great country song like this,, Masterfully done David and Floyd

Paddy G

Yep... what they said...

Great job.

Looks like we have a new songwriting team in town!! Two of my forum faves in another wonderful collab. Love the message in this one. I would love to have that kind of adoration after I return home! This is just top notch in every way-write, arrangement, production. Truly a masterpiece!! Take care. Greg

And what's not to like about those comments! We say "Thanks!, Peter"...





We appreciate that, Bob...




Thanks, Charlie... glad it struck a chord with you... David outlined a good story here...

floyd and David,

As Noel said, I also love the upbeat music, especially drums. A top notch write by anyone's standards and floyd's performance is as radio ready as everything he does.
Very nice collaboration.
I was very interested that this song was recorded together or completed by exchanging WAV files.
Very enjoyed the listen.

Best Regards.

Shigeki Adachi

Good songwriting, performance, and a professional sounding, radio ready mix.

Sounds like a hit to me!

floyd,

I look forward to every tune of yours and, as I said a while back, this is the kind of country I love.
And now there is floyd jane and David Snyder!!!
As everybody has written, this is radio ready.

I like the claps!!

Keep 'em coming!!

Alyn

Well done guys!

David is even more productive than we have ever been ;-)
Floyd, this one sounds very country and your pronunciation is even more country than ever before.
Great work as always!

Rob

Hi, Trevor! We appreciate you stopping by for a listen... and for that nice review...




Kenny - thanks for all of that... hard not to be a Jimmy Webb fan... "Wichita Lineman" IS one of the all-time greats...




LOL... thanks, Fred. I heard an XM station a couple of weeks ago that plays stuff from that time frame (20 - 25 years ago... sometimes hard to believe it's been that...). It was an incredible era for Country songwriting (and production/sound). It seems a shame that the current sound seems to have "wiped that out". It would be nice if there were room for both. I don't mind that "new Country" exists for those who want it (the kids, mainly), but it's a shame that old-guy-Country is so difficult to find. If you search for it, it does still exist - perhaps, one day, it will re-emerge...

Thanks, PRADON...




ROG - we say "Thanks!"....




Appreciate that, Bob...

An interesting observation, Kenny... although, I have to say, I'm not sure "mathematics" is the right term. It's a "sound" thing. I often use the phrase "how it falls on the ear". That's what matters most. And eliminating any "bumps" - which come in many different forms - most notably, too-many-syllables and awkward-wording... the singing of the words must not draw attention to themselves....




We appreciate that, Paddy...




Thanks, Herb...

Wanna be schooled in lyric writing? Sit back with your beverage of choice, listen to this a few time and then just read the lyric several times. I did that. And then I stared out the window and contemplated the subtleties at work here. And then I thought about how many great lyrics from these two guys have been posted here. And then I looked at the song I'm working on and got mildly depressed.

And then I thought again about this song and the rarity nowadays of a standout lyric built around a positive message of family and honest labor. And then I was happy.

Oh, and of course there's the getting easy to take for granted fine vocal, arrangment and production....

J&B

floyd and David, Being a good husband and father is it's own reward but every once in a while it's good to hear someone say it. This is a great theme to have built the song around. The super lyrics are complimented with some fine vocals and production. A standout for sure. Tom

We appreciate that, Greg. I'll bet you DO have that kind of adoration when you get home...




Shegeki - thanks! For this one, there was no exchange of WAV files... I did the recording - All the instrument tracks came from BIAB. I did all the harmonies (and the lead vocal). Often, Janice will add some harmony for me - those are most often sent as a mp3 file. We could do a transfer of a WAV file via dropbox, but I do not believe the difference would be noticeable in a full mix...

I want to says thanks to everyone who has posted such kind comments on this song.

I won't go to individual replies, because I don't want to clog up the board here, but I thank each and every one of you! You all know who you are!!

Also, some mention has been made of the art work and "crafting" of the lyrics here, and I have to same something about the forum, even if I sound like a broken record.

This forum is my learning place. I carefully study the songs and lyrics of many of the people who have posted here and have learned so much from all you people over the past 2 and half years I guess it has been. When I first started, I think I lot of my early songs were pretty bad, but I have received some valuable feedback, and what I have learned on this forum has helped me tremendously.

It is also a great "safe space" to test out wildly experimental ideas with extremely open minded people who have no hidden agenda, or weird competitiveness--just nice people and great artists sharing with one another.

This has really been great for my creativity, because it has encouraged me to step out of the box, instead of being in a state of fear and conformity and writing inside of the box in a vain effort to please those people who will never be pleased in the first place, because they are not interested in "real music"--and have no idea what real music is.

So, once again, thanks to everyone on the forum. This community continues to inspire me and teach me and I am very happy to be a part of it.

Thanks, Dave...




Thanks, Alyn...we appreciate that...




Thanks, Rob. David's a madman. Guess the older I get, the Countrier I get...

You're too nice.





We appreciate that, Tom...

Super country tune Floyd & David
One of the best ever heard on the site.

Sergio

Thanks, Sergio...very nice thing to say...

Awesome vocal and lyric. Really liked the back track on this. Very cool chord selection and rhythm

Scott - thanks...

Any time I see a post of a Floyd Jane song, I know I'mg going to be in for a real treat. For that matter, I can say the same about David. This makes for a double treat! Extremely well done (that's no surprise), and tells a great story, full of truth.

I'm not surprised by any of the great things I can say about this, because frankly, I've come to expect this level from you. But I sure enjoyed it, like I expected to.

So glad I got to hear this!

Steve